Nakish Bolzana
In Biggles and the Plot That Failed, Nakish Bolzana was a explorer/dealer of antiquities who was, for a time, associated with Hassan Sekunder. Bolzana was a Turkish national who had become long resident in Egypt. Originally an archaeologist, Bolzana later became an explorer and dealer of antiquities. He later told Biggles that in this business, he was an agent trusted by the Egyptian government. He handed all the antiquities which he found to the authorities for which he received compensation. Some two years before the events in the book, Bolzana first met Hassan Sekunder. Bolzana had been excavating some ancient ruins and Sekunder had worked for him. As the story in the book opened, Sekunder was on the way south on an air expedition with Adrian Mander, they transited at Siwa for several days. While there, Sekunder looked up Bolzana at his residence at Maasir (the Birket El-Maasir is a lake located some 20 km east of Siwa). Sekunder told him that he was about to confirm the location of the fabled tomb of the Tuareg King Raz Tenazza. Sekunder wanted to interest him in financing an expedition to excavate it because he knew he had a drill capable of opening the tomb. Later, Sekunder had found the tomb and had then made off in Adrian's aircraft, leaving Adrian to die. Sekunder flew on to Siwa where he persuaded Bolzana to mount an expedition to excavate the tomb. Bolzana, not knowing the background and Sekunder's treachery, had agreed and set out in a camel caravan accompanied by Sekunder and three Tuareg camel drivers, and carrying the all-important petrol driven drill. Biggles first met Bolzana after he arrived at the site of the tomb. Biggles had already rescued Adrian and in the meantime, Sekunder had been bitten and seriously injured by a scorpion after he hastily inserted his hand into an opening which Bolzana had cut into the tomb. With the main villain out of action, Biggles wanted to know who Bolzana was. Bolzana, on his part, also had questions because there were many things he did not understand. Bolzana was shocked to hear from Biggles how Sekunder had betrayed Adrian and had left him to die. He concluded that Sekunder was a liar and a scoundrel and assured Biggles that he knew nothing about this. He also told Biggles that he did not sabotage Biggles' base camp at El Arig, but he remembered how, as his caravan was leaving El Arig, Sekunder had asked to go back to the oasis on the pretext that he had forgotten something. This must have been when Sekunder had done the damage. Biggles believed Bolzana was honest and they parted on good terms. Bolzana offered to take the injured Sekunder back to Siwa with him but Biggles did not want to see him further inconvenienced. To carry Sekunder, Bolzana have to abandon his drill because the Tuareg camel men had left the caravan, leaving him with only two camels. Besides, Biggles thought Bolzana might well expose himself to the further risk that Sekunder might betray or murder him. Thus Biggles decided to fly Sekunder to Siwa while Bolzana proceeded home on his own. In parting, Bolzana also told Biggles that he would report Sekunder to the Egyptian authorities and use his influence to see that the scoundrel was not allowed to set foot in Egypt again. Bolzana was, in Biggles' opinion, the only redeeming feature in the unsavoury events surrounding Adrian's failed expedition into the Egyptian desert. Category:People Category:Biggles characters Category:Air Police era characters